Best Of Friends
by HopelessRomantic93
Summary: Maura and Jane meet and children and grow up together. Their love blossoming from friendship to something more.
1. Chapter 1

**_September, 21_****_st_****_ 1979_**

It's a chilly September morning in Boston. A young Angela Rizzoli has taken her daughter Jane to the park to play in the hopes of letting the child wear herself out. Jane is three years old and has long dark curls that her mother has contained into a ponytail. Her little button nose is pink from the chill in the air and her dark chocolate colored eyes are taking in the world around her.

She's dressed in worn jeans and small worn sneakers. Her red wool turtle neck sweater is the only thing on her that wasn't torn or scuffed in some place. She was an active little girl and never was afraid of jumping from any height or getting covered in dirt.

Her mother sets her down near a bench and shoos her off in the direction of the kids playing on all the parks equipment. Jane observes the other children playing while her mother takes a seat on the bench. Not too long after she runs off in the direction of the slides, not a care in the world.

A Minute later an elderly woman approaches the park with a little girl about the same age as Jane. The little girl grips tightly onto her nanny's hand as they make their way towards another bench next to the one Angela Rizzoli is sitting on.

The young mother looks over and watches the two approaching. The little girl has honey blonde locks that start to wave and curl just around her shoulders. She wears a grey dress with a large black pea coat over it and thicker looking tights to keep her little legs warm. Her boots appear to be suede and reach almost to her knees. She is shy and half hides behind her nanny as her eyes meet Angela Rizzoli, who is staring back at the girl with adoration.

The nanny takes a seat on the bench and urges the little girl she calls "Maura" to greet Angela. Maura waves timidly and is given a smile and a wave in return from the young woman across from her.

"MAAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAA!" Jane yells as she runs towards her mother. The little brunette never slowed her pace. She ran full speed until her mother's body stopped her. Jane giggled and hugged her mother and Angela in turn smiled at her daughter and smothered her cheeks in kisses.

Maura cautiously stood her distance and watched curiously as the mother/daughter pair giggled and exchanged affections. The little blonde looked from her nanny, back to the pair no more than six feet away. Feeling a little twinge of heartache, curious as to why her mother never acted such a way with her, Maura turned to observe the other children on the playground. She was very apprehensive and remained glued to the spot.

When Angela finally released Jane, the little girl spun around ready to shoot back off towards the swings when she caught sight of Maura. Jane froze for a second as she watched the little blonde study the other kids.

When the nervous little girl finally turned back to take a peek at the mother/daughter pair again, her eyes caught sight of Jane's. Realizing someone had been watching her Maura tried to hide her face in her Nanny's lap. Jane instantly smiled and took a few tentative steps towards the other girl, seeing as how she was obviously shy.

The elderly woman rubbed the little girls back and gave her a few encouraging words. Maura stood up straight once again but clung to her nanny's dress. Assuming it would be ok to get closer Jane took a few more steps before she was right next to the honey blonde, staring into hazel eyes.

"Hi!" Jane's little voice squeaked.

"Hello." Maura said softly, trying to maintain eye contact with the stranger but feeling overwhelmingly shy.

"I'm Jane!" The little brunette stated.

"My name is Maura." The little girl replied.

"Mau-a." Jane repeated.

Maura cracked her first smile since arriving when she heard how the small brunette pronounced her name. Jane smiled in turn when she saw the honey blonde's dimples, causing her own to show as she did.

"Come on Mau-a!" Jane said excitedly as she took hold of the little blonde's free hand. Maura quickly flashed a concerned look towards her nanny but was only greeted with an encouraging nod. Jane tugged lightly on Maura's hand, pulling her along towards the swings, their little hands seeming to fit perfectly together.

For the next two hours Angela watched Jane and Maura take to each other. Watching Jane push Maura on the swings and encouraging her to go down the biggest slide. The young woman was even surprised when the two found a frog on a tree and took turns playing catch and release with it through the grass.

Angela approached Maura's nanny on the bench near hers and asked if it was at all possible to set up another play date for the two. The elderly woman told Angela that it was up to Maura's parents and handed her a card with their names and numbers on it. The younger woman accepted the card with thanks and the two commented on the girls gravitation towards one another.

After a few minutes of chatting the elderly woman excused herself and called out to Maura that it was time to go home. The little blondes face fell realizing she had to leave her new friend behind. The two girls walked hand in hand back over to their guardians and hugged before having to go their separate ways.


	2. Chapter 2

_**October 31st, 1981**_

A couple years pass and Jane and Maura have grown and are now five. They are best friends and even attend the same elementary school.

This evening Maura rode home with Jane after school. Maura's mother Constance had agreed that since she was old enough now, and since they didn't really celebrate the holiday anyway, that perhaps the little blonde would like to spend the evening with her friend.

Maura had already spent many nights over at the Rizzoli household. She liked it there, even after Jane's little brother Frankie came along.

Angela had gone out earlier that day and bought a few pumpkins for the girls to carve when they got home. With newspaper splayed across the living room floor and the tops cut off of their pumpkins the girls sat together scooping the guts out and placing them into a bowl.

After the guts had been scraped out and the pumpkins were empty the girls were then handed markers to create a face that the adults would help them carve later.

Jane attempted to make her pumpkin spooky, giving it sharp teeth and scowling eyes. Whereas Maura opted to make a traditional pumpkin with triangle shaped eyes and a toothy smile. Once they were done Frank Sr. assisted the girls with carving the faces in their pumpkins.

"Girls, its getting close to six o'clock. You can go put your costumes on now." Angela told the girls.

Both girls jump up as quickly as they could. Maura grabbed her bag she had left beside the door and followed Jane upstairs to her bedroom.

Jane wriggled out of her sweater and sweat pants as quickly as her little limbs could manage once she reached her room. She grabbed a pair of jeans from her dresser and a small white button up her mother had laid out for her, before scooping up the rest of her costume at the bottom of her closet.

Maura set her bag on Jane's bed and gently pulled out the a yellow dress followed by a pinafore and a pair of shiny black flats. The little blonde had been wearing her white tights all day in her excitement of the evenings festivities.

"What are you going to be, Jane?" Maura asked curiously, pulling the black dress she had worn to school over her head and getting stuck. Jane laughed and helped tug her friends dress over her head.

"I'm gonna be a cowgirl!" She stated excitedly, flopping onto her bed so she could pull her jeans on. Despite what Angela had wanted and begged Jane to be for halloween (A princess), Jane wanted to be a cowgirl with the hat, boots, and lasso. "How about you, Maur?" She asked.

"I'm going as my favorite book character!" The little blonde said smiling. "Alice, from Alice's adventures in wonderland."

"I saw that movie! Isn't her dress blue though?" Jane asked in confusion, pulling on her with button up shirt.

"I'm not allowed to watch movies." Maura said, her voice losing its enthusiasm as she looked at her dress still on the bed.

In the little brunettes sympathy for her friend, Jane was struck with an idea. She recalled having a blue dress at the back of her closet that her mother had bought her for easter but she refused to wear.

"Wait a sec, Maur!" Jane spun around and raced over towards her closet. She flung dress after dress to the side until she found the familiar baby blue dress she was searching for. With a hard tug on the end of the dress it slipped from its hanger and into Jane's hands.

The little brunette walked back over and held the dress out to her friend.

"Here. You can wear this." Jane said. Maura's eyes had just begun to welled up before Jane approached her.

"But that's your dress, Jane! I don't want to mess it up." Maura said apprehensively.

"I don't like dresses anyway." The little brunette stated with a shrug and placed the dress in Maura's hands.

"Thank you." The little blonde said and moved to give her friend and appreciative hug. Maura then unzipped the back of the dress before stepping into it.

While Jane was finishing with her top buttons, Angela appeared in the doorway to check on them.

"Are we almost ready?" The young mother asked.

Jane walked over to Angela and explained that Maura needed to wear her blue dress because she only had a yellow one and no one would have known who she was. Angela smiled at her daughter, giving her a nod that meant she understood.

The young mother had assisted both girls, Maura with her dress and pinafore, and Jane with her chaps and buttons (She had accidentally buttoned a few in the wrong place).

Once Maura's shoes and bow for her hair were on and Jane had managed to get her boots, vest, and hat on they were bounding down the stairs, ready to leave.

Frank Sr. Waited at the door with a baby Frankie dressed as a little lion in one arm, holding two pails for each girl to collect candy with and Jane's lasso in the other.

The girls ran towards the door thanking Frank Sr. for the pales as they headed out the front door.

"Girls wait!" Angela cried out after them. Both girls stopped in their tracks on the front porch. "I want to take a picture of you with your pumpkins." She told them.

Each girl grabbed their pumpkins that had been set on the porch railing and lit once they had finished them.

"Be careful girls, the candles inside are hot." Angela instructed as she stepped out onto the porch with the camera. "Ok now hold up your pumpkins and say 'Happy Halloween'." The young mother instructed.

With a flash of the camera; the girls, accompanied by Jane's little family, were off.


	3. Chapter 3

_**November 2nd , 1984**_

Flash forward to third grade, it's recess and most of the children are playing on or around playground equipment.

Maura sits under the undercover area of the playground working on her multiplication, something she finds stimulating.

"Hey Maura Bore-a!" Danny Bello, a boy in Jane's class, shouted as he approached the young blonde. "Whatcha doin'?" He asked in a cocky sing song voice.

"I'm working on some arithmetic questions gave us." Maura replied genuinely, trying her best to avoid any impending conflict with her classmate.

"You're such a freak, Maura." Danny said before yanking the blondes belongings from her hands and taking off with them, laughing proudly to himself. A few near by kids watched the scene and began to laugh as well.

Maura's hurt boiled up inside her, turning into frustration, her frustration spilling out in tears. The young blonde collected herself as best as she could and began to walk in the direction of the schools office.

"Hey Jane!" A boy playing soccer with Jane (and a few other kids) called out to her. The young brunettes head snapped up in attention, causing her to lose hold of the ball at her feet. "I think your friend is upset." He said pointing across the blacktop to Maura who was walking slowly with her head down and shoulders slumped in the direction of the main office.

The young brunette squinted to get a better look. She had glanced over several times during her soccer game with the other students to check on Maura, each time she was engrossed in her school work. This time however the young blonde looked defeated and no longer carried her belongings.

"Tony is captain now." Jane instructed before she ran as fast as she could off the field.

The young brunette reached her friend just as she was about to open the door to the main office.

"Hey!" Jane said panting as she reached Maura.

The young blonde turned to face her friend, tears still streaking her little pink cheeks. She didn't have to say anything for Jane to know someone had been picking on her. Maura was often the butt of many jokes among the kids in their year.

"Who was it?" Jane asked, trying to ensure her friend that she would take care of it.

"D-Danny B-B-Bello." The young blonde managed to get out through her tears and sniffiling.

"Ok. Stay here. I'll go get your stuff." The young brunette stated, spinning around and sprinting in the direction from which she came.

R&I

Several minutes later Jane came jogging back down the hallway with Maura's belongings in her hands. She reached her friend and shoved her things back into her arms.

"Here you go." The young brunette stated proudly.

Maura looked up from her stuff, and gasped when she saw her friend. Jane's nose was dripping blood down her small face.

"Oh my goodness! Jane! Are you ok!?" Maura nearly shouted, the worry evident on her face. "Here, tilt your head back." The young blonde instructed, setting her things on the ground and pinching her friends nose closed as Jane did as she was told.

"What happened?" Maura continued to question.

"Danny wouldn't give your stuff back so I hit him." Jane said with a tone of amusement.

"So he hit you back?!" The young blonde inquired.

"Yeah!" Jane said with a laugh.

"How did you get my stuff back?" Maura asked again.

"I kicked him in the balls." Jane smirked, rolling her eyes in the direction of her friend, hoping to receive praise.

"Violence is never the answer." Maura said expressing her displeasure with her friends actions.

"I got your stuff back didn't I?" Jane said, trying to lighten the mood.

The young blonde shook her head in defeat.

"Thank you." Maura said, conveying her appreciation.

A moment of silence passed. The first of many comfortable silences they would share.

"We should really get you to the nurse." Maura said.

"No no no! If I go see the nurse, i'll get in trouble. Besides…" Jane said tilting her head upright again and removing Maura's hand. "...I'm fine. See! It stopped. You're a genius!" The young brunette stated.

"It's just something I read in a journal lying in my fathers study. Are you sure you're ok?" Maura asked once again.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jane said honestly, wiping her face clean with her shirt.

Just then the bell rang indicating that recess was over and it was time for all students to head back to their classrooms.

The two young girls began to make their way inside and down the hall to their classes. Jane and Maura watched as Danny Bello slunk past the two of them, like a dog with his tail between his legs, and slipped inside his and Jane's classroom.

"Do you think he'll tell on you?" The young blonde asked her friend quietly.

"Nah." Jane said looking in the direction of her class. "He won't say anything." Jane reassured her friend.

R&I

"_Danny!" Jane shouted as she spotted her classmate near a row of benches on the outside of the cafeteria with a few other boys. The young boy's head shot up at the sound of his name.  
><em>

"_Oh, hey look guys. It's Rolly Polly Rizzoli" The young boy laughed and his friends followed suit. Jane rolled her eyes at the remark as she approached the group.  
><em>

"_Give me Maura's stuff back." Jane demanded.  
><em>

"_Or what? What are you gonna do? Give me your cooties?" He sang the last word and began to laugh obnoxiously loud. _

_The young brunette took three large strides and decked the boy right in the eye. Stunned and in pain, Danny released his hold on Maura's things, and covered his eye. _

_Anger building inside of him, the young boy took a step forward and punched Jane directly in the nose, causing her to fall back on her butt and clutch her face in pain.  
><em>

"_You're just a girl! You can't hurt me!" Danny shouted as he watched Janes eyes start to well up. He turned back to face his friends who had been egging them both on, all of them laughing at the boys comment._

"_Hey, Danny!"  
><em>

_The boy turned around to face the voice. Jan had collected herself up off the ground and with as much force as she could muster she swung her leg as hard and she could up between the boys legs. _

_With a high pitched squeal Danny fell to the ground, his hands desperately covering his genitals, sobbing uncontrollably on the grass. _

_Jane leaned over and picked up Maura's things beside the boy's head, his friends frozen in terror at the sight they had all just witnessed. _

_Before she left them she gave the boys a warning.  
><em>

"_If ANY of you tell I'll do the same thing to you!" She said pointing a finger at Danny's friends just a few feet away. __They all nodded in understanding and a couple of them nervously cupped themselves. _

_Bringing her attention back to the boy on the ground she threatened. "If YOU rat me out I will tell everyone in this whole school how 'Rolly Polly Rizzoli' made you cry like a girl!" Her voice was stern. "And you better leave Maura alone." Jane added before running off, leaving Danny crying and his friends in fear of their private parts._

R&I

Jane nudged Maura reassuringly and insisted that they go to class. The girls hugged, the young blonde expressing her appreciation once more before they said goodbye.

With a glance over her shoulder and across the hall as she reached her door, Jane winked at her friend who returned the gesture with a small smile before they slipped into their individual classrooms.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

_I'm just using 'R&I' to show a time shift. _

_...in case any of you didn't catch that... _


	4. Chapter 4

_**December 25th, 1986**_

The Rizzoli household is a buzz with the holidays presence. Christmas is Jane's favorite time of year.

The brunette tires of how it seems to start in September and last until the actual day of, but the week leading up to (including) Christmas day is the happiest for her.

She has never experienced a bad Christmas, and would never intend too. The only reason this evening made her the slightest bit blue was that her best friend was unable to attend this year.

Maura's family didn't celebrate in the christian holiday (being people of science, not faith) but they often let their daughter to spend it with the Rizzoli's.

This year however the Isles's were attending a party of one of Maura's fathers colleagues and had decided to bring their daughter with them. So this year it was just Jane and her relatives.

Angela had prepared a large feast (as she typically did every year). Luckily they had more than enough food to feed all the cousins and aunt/uncles that had arrived.

The Christmas tree in the corner of the living room was overflowing with gifts, most of which were for the Children. Children that were trying their best to find the ones with their names on them and shake them to guess what was inside.

"Get away from that tree you two!" Angela shouted, swatting in the direction of Jane's younger brothers.

Frankie and Tommy were attempting to shake a rather large box with both of their names on it. The boys mischievous smiles fell at the sound of their mother scold as fled the scene.

Dinner passed with many laughs and enjoyable conversation between family members. Jane was excited to finally graduate to the adults table. She usually had to watch over her brothers and cousins at the kids table but that duty has been passed down to Frankie this year.

After dinner everyone made their way into the living room and took their seats. Angela, being the hostess she was, passed around presents to everyone.

Frankie and Tommy had received clothes, mostly; because that's what Angela had requested for her rapidly growing boys. They thanked their relatives in a forced appreciation, avoiding their mothers gaze as they did so.

Frank and Angela surprised the boys though by getting them an N.E.S gaming console that Angela had overheard the boys talking about.

The young boys came unglued in their excitement when they opened the large box only to find a smaller box inside that contained the gaming console.

With the promise that they were only allowed to play it after their homework was finished and after their chores were done during the week, Angela let the two set it up in their room.

Jane had received some clothes as well, mostly socks and a dress or two that she would never wear. Her Father had given her a new ball and mitt for them to play catch with. She was extremely happy with this gift. Baseball was something she and her father had bonded over.

It was nearly ten O'clock when all of Jane's family had left the Rizzoli household. Around the same time a knock on their front door called Jane to her feet, assuming a relative must have forgotten something.

When the young brunette flung the door open she was greeted with a familiar soft smile that always got her to respond in kind.

Maura stood on the front porch, carrying with her a few neatly wrapped presents. Jane stepped aside and gestured for her friend to come in.

"I can only stay for a few minutes. My parents let me borrow driver and he is waiting for me outside." Maura stated. "But I needed to talk to you and wanted to give you your present. Can we go to your room for a moment?" She asked.

The brunettes smile faded some as she sensed the unease in her friends voice. With no questions asked Jane led the two of them upstairs.

"So how was the party?" Jane asked closing the door behind them.

"It was alright. I enjoyed meeting some of the people my father works with, but in all honesty I would have had more fun here." The honey blonde said as she sat the gifts on top of Jane's bed.

"Are all of those for me?" Jane asked, raising an eyebrow in shock.

"No. There's one for your parents and one for each of your brothers, but…" The young blonde paused, picking up the smallest box. "This one is for you."

"Can I open it?" Jane asked excitedly.

"Of course. It's Christmas." Maura said offering the box to the young brunette.

"Oh wait!" Jane nearly shouted, taking the small box from her friends hand. "I have your present too."

Jane set her box gently on her mattress once more and knelt down to fish the gift out from under her bed. When she found her purchase she pulled out a paper sack and set it on top of the bed.

"Sorry I didn't have time to wrap it." She said apologetically. "Let's open them together." Jane added with an enthusiastic smile. Maura nodded and on the count of three they both tore open their gifts.

The young blonde pulled out a white baseball Jersey with the number 25 and the name Baylor on the back in red stitching. It was Jane's favorite red sox jersey. One her father had bought her at the beginning of the season.

"This is your favorite Jersey! Are you sure you want to give it to me?" Maura asked apprehensively. That jersey meant a lot to Jane, she wasn't quite sure why she'd want to give it up.

"I want you to have it. You don't have any Red Sox stuff. Now you've got something to support the team with." Jane said with a proud smile.

Looking down the young brunette took full notice of the gift in her hand. The small box contained a silver necklace with the initial 'J' etched into it in elegant looking cursive.

"Wow, Maur! It's so pretty. I bet you paid a fortune!" The brunette exclaimed pulling her gift from it's container.

"You always look nice when you wear my jewelry so I thought you might like some of your own." The young blonde stated.

Usually Maura would be wrong. Jane never really enjoyed jewelry. She only wore Maura's if they were playing dress up, or just because it was the type of jewelry she only saw on the manikins in stores. However this time Jane enjoyed the gift, she wasn't exactly sure why, maybe just that it was a thoughtful gift from a close friend.

"Thank you, Maura. I love it." Jane said honestly, looking up at her friend.

The blonde returned a weak smile and her eyes began to well.

"I'm glad you like it. Thank you for your gift." She said lifting up the Jersey a little to indicate her gratitude.

The tears brimming in Maura's eyes were hardly unnoticeable.

Jane immediately became concerned.

"Maura what's wrong?" The brunette asked sympathetically.

"My parents informed me tonight that we are moving." Maura said.

"Ok well that just means-"

"To Europe." The young blonde added quickly.

"Oh…" Jane's voice and expression fell.

They sat there on Jane's bed for several minutes; Jane doing her best to comfort her friend. The brunette had been the only friend Maura had ever had, and now on top of moving she was informed of a boarding school she would possibly be attending. Having to make new friends intimidated the blonde, but Jane just reassured her of all her positive traits and told her she would be fine.

They promised to write each other as much as possible and made the promise that all children make. They would always be best friends.

At the end of it Maura had cried quite a lot and Jane was rather upset herself, though she refrained from shedding any tears.

When Maura instructed that she had to be leaving, and that the car was waiting for her, Jane walked her to the front door.

Everyone had disbursed before Maura had even showed up, so no one saw Maura's tear streaked face except for Jane. The honey blonde asked if Jane would give the rest of the presents to her family for her. The brunette gave a silent agreement before they said their goodbyes.

"Merry Christmas, Jane." Maura said, pausing in the doorway, leaning in to place a small kiss on her friends cheek.

A fresh pang of sorrow hit the young brunette, right in the center of her chest. She felt warm lips caress her cheek for brief moment and just as quickly as they had warmed her, they left, leaving an empty sensation when they had gone.

"Merry Christmas, Maura." Jane nearly whispered as she watched her friend walk gracefully away.


	5. Chapter 5

_**January 11th, 1994**_

Eight years, seventeen days, and twelve hours later; Maura sits at her desk, alone in her dorm room. The first four months of school were going well for the honey blonde. She was quite glad to be back home I'm Boston.

Maura had made the decision of continuing her education back in the states. Though she enjoyed her free time traveling Europe with her parents; she did not enjoy much of her time spent at her boarding school in France. The girls there were crueler than ever and she'd had no friends to comfort her.

The night at Jane's on Christmas was the last time the girls had spoken face to face.

Not only had the blondes parents surprised her by informing her of their move on Christmas night, they also surprised her the next morning by heading off to their airport.

Maura was shocked, she didn't even get to say a decent goodbye to Jane or her family.

_"I'm sorry, Dear. We assume you understood that we would be leaving as soon as possible when we informed you of our move." _Was all the blondes father could say when Maura expressed her disappointment.

_"But, Love, isn't that why we let you borrow the driver last night?" _Was all her mother could muster when the blonde insisted that she go give the Rizzoli's an appropriate farewell.

When the young blonde had tried to explain her side of the situation and her, her parents did their best to sympathize but had to explain that it was too late. They had no time to spare. Their flight would be leaving soon and they all needed to get going.

When Maura had tried to ask about their belongings she was cut short.

Her mother was growing impatient with all of the young blondes questions. Constance handed Maura a bag with some of her daughters clothes in it and explained that their things would be packed _for_ and sent _to_ them overseas.

Before they left, Maura managed to grab the baseball jersey Jane had given her the previous night. She didn't trust anyone else with this sentimental gift. It wasn't worth possibly losing in the move. Maura placed the shirt in her bag before having to leave her home.

She made attempts to write Jane and the young Italian girl made attempts to write back. However, eventually the letters came few and far between. Soon it was only during the holidays.

Both girls lives were changing in many different ways. So the promise they once clung to disappeared. The girls hadn't heard from one another in several years. Both assuming the one had grown either too bored of or too busy for the other.

So Maura had been attending BCU since early September. Once again she was all on her own but had grown accustom to life that way.

The honey blonde sat at her desk staring intently into her textbooks, studying for upcoming exams. She yawned a few times and decided a cup of coffee was needed in order to continue studying.

Collecting her books into a shoulder bag and throwing on her coat, Maura headed towards the café.

When she approached the student cafe however, she noticed that it wasn't a buzz with the usual amount of students. In fact no one was around. Upon further investigation Maura found that the building had been closed due to illness. Influenza had been plaguing the students and faculty among the campus that winter.

The blonde sighed to herself, uncertain what to do next. She genuinely needed a caffeine boost to help her stay awake. Not only did she need to study for her exams but she also needed to be alert for her Biology class that afternoon.

Suddenly the idea of heading off campus struck Maura. She hadn't really needed to leave the campus in months prior, everything she needed was right on campus. Until today that is.

Not too long after, Maura had found the perfect place. A quaint coffee shop about seventeen or so minutes from BCU. It was fairly empty and quiet inside the shop, so after ordering her drink, Maura made herself comfortable on a couch in the furthest corner of the room. With a text book in her lap and a drink in her hand, the blonde found a recipe for blissful concentration.

Being engrossed in her studies well after she had finished her warm beverage, a sound pulled Maura from her focus.

The bell on the coffee shop door had chimed, signaling a new customer had arrived.

This however was not the sound that managed to catch the blondes attention. A Semi raspy laugh had caused Maura to set her textbook down in her lap. The sound was somehow know, yet foreign to her ears.

"And then he had this black ring around his eye for the next two days." The voice said with a laugh.

"So I take it you don't miss living with your family?" Another, completely unknown voice asked once their laughter had subsided.

"Are you kidding me? I've been dying to get out and on my own since I was old enough to dress myself." The familiar voice joked.

Maura cocked her head to the side in thought. Trying desperately to place that voice. She tried looking from her spot on the couch in the back, but a wide pillar blocked her view from the front of the shop. Quickly dismissing the voice, Maura had picked up her textbook once again and continued her studies.

"Hey, I'm gonna hit the ladies room while we wait for our order." The familiar voice stated.

Making her way towards the the back of the shop, a young and very fit, Jane Rizzoli spotted a blonde with her nose shoved in a large book. Giving a small smile in the oblivious strangers direction, the girl with the raspy voice slipped into the restroom.

Maura hadn't been looking at the approaching stranger but her ears had caught the sound of heavy footsteps and a pause. The other woman must have stopped and realized she and her friend were not the only people in the shop that morning.

"Physics, huh?" A deep yet gentle voice questioned.

"Hmmm?" Maura hummed quizzically, looking up from her text. In front of her stood a man, approximately her age, dark skin, and kind honey brown eyes. He smiled politely at her and she mirrored his facial expression.

"Sorry, didn't mean to bother you. I was just looking at your textbook." The young man stated.

"Oh! Oh no, you're not bothering me." Maura reassured.

"So...do you go to BCU?" He asked.

"Yes. I just started there this fall." The blonde confirmed.

"What are you going to school for?" The stranger continued to ask.

"I'm studying to become a forensic pathologist." Maura stated proudly.

The young man stared at her with an unsure look in his eyes, waiting for the blonde across from him to elaborate.

"A medical examiner." She clarified. There was a brief pause as the information sunk in. The young mans expression shifted from confusion, to surprise, then finally interest.

"So you would be helping out detectives and other law enforcement, right?" He asked.

"That is correct. It is part and parcel to the job description."

"Well then maybe we'll get to work together someday." The young man beamed enthusiastically.

Maura tipped her head to the side in wonderment. It was now the young mans turn to elaborate.

"My friend and I attend the police academy across town" He indicated the general direction with his free hand before taking a sip from his coffee.

"Oh! Well then one day perhaps our careers will cross paths, Mr..."The blonde trailed, realizing she never caught the strangers name.

"Barry Frost. But you can just call me Frost." He said extending his hand to meet the blonde's.

"Maura Isles." She said shaking the young mans hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Frost."

Just then the woman from the bathroom stepped out as the young man was straightening himself up.

"Oh! Hey, Maura. This is my friend Jane. Jane this is-"

"Maura Isles." The brunette stated confidently. "I thought I recognized those honey blonde locks."

Maura hadn't had time to fully take in the woman before she heard her own name. She looked curiously upon the girl staring intently back at her before it all click.

"Jane? Jane Rizzoli?" Maura asked,more than surprised to be running into her old friend.

"Yeah." Jane gave a soft smile.

"You two know each other?" Frost asked in confusion.

"Yeah. We were best friends until we were like ten when Maura's family moved away." Jane said as she approached Frost.

Maura starred in awe at Jane. Things had definitely changed in those eight years they were apart.

The first thing the honey blonde noticed was how tall the brunette had gotten. Jane was a least an inch or two taller than Maura in her highest heels, and an easy five without. Though the brunettes loose fitting, dark blue, long sleeved police academy shirt hid her torso well, her black gym shorts showed off her well toned leg muscles.

"When did you get back?" Jane's voice broke the blondes concentration on her features.

Her voice! THAT'S why she couldn't place her. Maura knew the overall sound of that voice was familiar and oddly comforting. It had obviously gotten deeper and become raspy through puberty, the blonde concluded.

"I moved back in late August." Maura stated.

"Coffee for, Jane!" The barista from the front of the room called.

"Oh, Crap!" Jane said spinning around and heading for her drink.

"Hey we should get going if we don't want to be late." Frost called in Jane's direction. The brunette simply waved her agreement as she continued to jog away. "Sorry we're kind of cutting this short. It was nice to meet you, Maura." Frost said giving the blonde another welcoming smile.

"No worries. I should be heading back to campus. I have a class to attend in half an hour." She said glancing at her wrist watch. "But it was lovely to meet you."

"Would you like a ride back to campus?" Frost offered.

"Oh that's alright. Its not that far of a walk and I could use the physical activity since I'll be sitting down for the next three hours." The blonde stated matter-of-factly.

"Alright then. See you around." Waving his goodbye Frost made his way towards the exit in the front of the room.

Maura sat with a surprised smile spread across her face for a brief moment. She then placed her books back in her bag and scooped up her empty coffee container to be thrown away.

"Hey wait!" Jane's voice caught the blondes attention. "Here." The brunette said reaching Maura and handing her a slip of paper.

"What's this?" Maura asked, taking the small piece of paper.

"It's my number. In case you wanted hang out and catch up sometime." Jane said, with a slight bounce in her step, causing her ponytail to swish around a little.

"Of course. I'd love to catch up sometime." Maura said smiling at Jane.

The blonde did a once over with her eyes of her long time friend. Though they hadn't spoken in years their chemistry seemed to pick up right where it left off. Maura caught the attention of a lustrous object below her gaze of Jane's eyes. Looking down the blonde saw a shining silver pendant with the initial 'J' resting against the outer part of the brunette's shirt.

"Is...that the necklace I gave you?" The Blonde asked curiously, pointing to the object on the brunette's chest.

Jane looked down immediately, a little surprised by the mention of her necklace. "Uh, Yeah" The brunette said looking back up to meet hazel eyes. "I Never take it off." She admitted, smiling softly. "I'm really glad you're back, Maur."

"Me too, Jane." Maura added, her dimples fully showing from her smile.

And with that the two parted ways.

R&I

That night when Maura got back to her dorm from class she set her bag on the end of her bed before laying herself down onto it. She laid there a moment in her dimly lit room before reaching over to grab her teddy bear.

It was a gift her father had given her when she had written home the first time since attending her new boarding school. She mentioned how no one seemed interested in making a friendship with her and how she had missed Boston.

Of course she tried to cover up her pain by telling her family how wonderful her classes and teachers were and how well she was doing in her extracurricular activities.

Her father had sent back a letter of encouragement along with some 'glad to hear' and to the blondes surprise a large stuffed bear. It was one of those rare moments in her childhood she recalled her father showing support for her.

She had named the teddy 'Baylor Bear' in honor of the jersey it wore.

Maura had kept the jersey Jane had given her all those years ago. Much too small for her to wear now; she re-purposed the jersey, instead of just letting it sit around in a drawer never again to be seen by the light of day.

The blonde smiled at the memories that flooded back to her as she played with the buttons on the jersey. Memories of childhood and friendship. Something she had gone without for nearly a decade.

After having ran into Jane today she was sure that would all change.

Yes, Maura was _quite_ glad to be back home in Boston.


	6. Chapter 6

_**February 14th, 2002 **_

It was a brisk Thursday afternoon and Jane was lucky to have the day off. It was valentines day and who better to spend it with than her boyfriend Casey. The young, newly promoted, detective had suggested that her soldier boyfriend and herself take a jog through the park. The sky was overcast and the wind blew the remainder of dead leaves through the park. Spring would come soon and the signs of new life and new beginnings would be displayed on the trees around Boston.

"So, no work today?" Casey said as they finished their jogg, slowing to a walk.

"Yeah. My new partner, Korsak, said that today was looking really slow and that if he needed me he'd call." Jane replied.

"I'm surprised you didn't insist on working anyway." The young man added through his odd accent. Alternating every other work between American and English.

Jane stopped and smiled before stepping closer to her boyfriend, who in turn, wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him.

"Any other day I would have, but you're in town, who knows for how long this time. I thought I'd spend the day with you." Jane smiled flirtatiously, lifting herself up on her toes to kiss the young man. Casey returned the smile and just as he was about to close the distance to the detectives lips a piercing ringing came from Janes pocket. Jane pulled back before, groaning her annoyance.

"Or maybe not." She reached into her pocket and retrieved a small silver phone, flipping it open and bringing it up to her ear. "Rizzoli." She answered in a bothered tone. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down. What's going on?" The detective pushed herself free from the soldier's embrace, her facial expressions switching from annoyance to concern. "Sweetie, I can't hear you when you're crying. Take a deep breath." There was a pause as Jane listened for a few moments. Casey watched with interest as Jane continued to speak. "Ok. I'm on my way." The detective added quickly snapping her phone shut, ending the conversation.

Jane turned to her soldier with an apologetic smile which he returned knowingly.

"Maura?" He guessed in a more english accent.

"I'm sorry. She's really upset. I need to go see her." She added.

"I understand. Go. Take care of your friend." Casey said with a polite smile.

Jane smiled softly back at the man in front of her and leaned up to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Thank you."

The honey blonde sat perched on her couch holding a handful of used tissue as she dabbed her eyes to rid the tears from her vision. A hurried knock came from the front door and Maura sprang up to answer it. The door swung open and on the other side stood Jane.

"I got here as fast as I could." The brunette panted.

The blonde silently step aside, gesturing her friend to come into her home. Once the door was closed behind them, Jane looked back into tearful eyes, outstretching her arms. Maura threw her arms around the detectives neck and buried her faced against the taller womans shoulder, letting a fresh tears flow freely. The detective hugged her friend tightly, letting the blondes sobs shake them both, but never letting go.

Once Maura's sobs had ceased Jane lead the blonde over to the couch once more. Maura curled up on one end while the young detective grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch, draping it over her friends shoulders.

"Wanna tell me what happened?" Jane spoke softly as she sat herself down on the opposite end of the couch.

"Ian left." Maura stated simply, her eyes welling a little.

"He'll come back sweetie. He always comes back." Jane said keeping her tone calm though her blood was boiling at the sight of her friends current state.

Maura's only response was a small shrug. The blonde licked away a few tears that had fallen towards her lips, doing her best to avoid the detectives gaze.

"He said he was heading to Botswana. It's over seven thousand miles away." Marua added.

A silence filled the air around them. Jane was at a loss for words to comfort her friend. Several moments passed before before the brunette jumped to her feet.

"I have an idea!" Jane stated. She leaned down to kiss Maura's head before making her way towards the front door. Maura watched her friend with reddened eyes in her haste to move about the room.

"Jane, where are you going?" The blonde asked, feeling her throat tighten as a new flood of emotion washed over her.

"I'll be right back, I promise."

Jane flashed a smile in the direction of the melancholy looking woman sitting on the couch as she closed the door. Nearly twenty minutes later the young brunette returned, attempting to carry two grocery bags, a six pack of her favorite beer, and a bouquet of yellow roses. She brought everything into the kitchen, setting her heavy load down onto the counter tops. Looking around she found that Maura had abandon her post on the couch and was no where in plain view.

"Hey, Maur!?" The young detective called out into the spacious house.

"I'm getting dressed, be right out!" Maura called out from her bedroom.

The brunette walked around the island in the center of the kitchen and retrieved a vase from a cupboard underneath to place the flowers in. She placed the flowers in the vase, filled them with water, then set them strategically on top of the island. Once she had placed her beers and the bottles of wine she had purchased in the fridge to chill, she grabbed that last bag and brought it over to the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Jane!" Maura gasped when she saw the flowers.

"They ran out of red, you'll have to settle for yellow." Jane stated, looking over her shoulder at the blonde who had changed into grey yoga pants and a cream colored sweater. "You feel better after that shower?" she asked, turning back towards the table, having noticed the blondes face framed by damp locks.

"I thought the heat from the water might help relax the tension in my neck." The blonde stated dismissively, more interested in the flowers. "The bright color of the yellow rose symbolize wellness or friendship. They're lovely, Jane. Thank you."

"I also bought wine, beer, aaaaaand…" Jane stretched as her friend crossed rooms to join her on the couch. "...Chocolates." The brunette said with a smile, handing her friend one of the few boxes she had purchased. Maura took the box graciously and softly smiled and the brunette to her left.

"You didn't have to do all of this for me." The blonde spoke gently.

"I know." Jane said looking up to stare into hazel eyes. "I wanted to."

As the evening dragged on Jane and Maura ordered dinner to have with their wine and beer. The young detective had convinced the blonde to order a pizza, which they ate in front of the TV, watching a movie the brunette had rented from the movie store. For hours they talked about boys and work and about their futures. Things they talked about often but never tired of discussing. Hours dragged on and Jane woke to the sound of Maura's tortoise, Bass, shuffling around in the kitchen. She blinked a few times before her eyes adjusted to the room, dimly light by the television set. The brunette looked down to see honey colored locks of hair splayed across her lap.

The light illuminating the room cast a blue shadow across the sleeping blonde face. Jane watched her sleeping friend for a brief moment, her side rising and falling with deep sleep filled breaths. The clock across the room read a quarter past eleven. Realizing she needed to get home, Jane gently nudged her friend.

"Maur." She whispered. "Maura." Jane said lightly shaking the blondes shoulder. "Time to go to bed."

Maura groaned meekly in response. Jane slipped out from under the other woman, taking her by the hands and pulling her to her feet. The young detective wrapped an arm around the blondes wait and helped her to bed. Maura flopped herself down into her large king sized bed for one, too tired to cover herself up. Jane pulled the sheets and comforter up to her friends shoulders, before making her way towards the bedroom door.

"Happy Valentines Day, Jane." Maura mumbled sleepily.

Jane froze in the door frame, smiling softly.

"Happy Valentines Day, Maura." The detective whispered in reply. Closing the bedroom door quietly behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

_**March 23rd, 2010**_

"Hey, Maur." Detective Jane Rizzoli barked enthusiastically as she entered the medical examiners office. "How's your first week treating you?" She asked as she set down a paper cup filled with coffee, the words "Boston Joe's" written vertically down the side.

The blonde looked up from the computer on her desk to her friends dark chocolate colored eyes staring back at her, patiently waiting for an answer.

"Thank you." She acknowledged that cup of coffee now sitting next to her on her desk. "I'm prepared to say that my first week has gone well. It certainly helps knowing a handful of the people already working in this building."

"That's great, Maur." The detective said, happy to hear her friend was adjusting well. "Ok, well I just wanted to check in. I don't want to keep you from your work. Are we still on for tonight?" The brunette asked, slowly making her way towards the exit.

Over the past several years the two had subconsciously made a habit of spending nearly every Saturday night together.

Jane had broke off her relationship with Casey in the winter of 2002. He was headed off for his first tour of duty and didn't want Jane to be waiting for someone who may or may never come back home. They mutually agreed that breaking up was for the best.

Ian had shown up once more since the day he left Maura alone on valentines day. Though her heart had long ago mended after watching the man she loved walk out the door, she couldn't deny her attraction to him. Their relationship remained strictly physical. Ian would leave a few weeks later and this time the honey blonde wouldn't mind half as much as she did last time.

The two women turned to one another for support, as friends do. Their friendship though, had always held an underlying tone of being more than just platonic. Both women knew and neither would tell their secret thoughts that even they themselves shied away from.

"I can't tonight, I'm swimming in paperwork. I'm sorry, Jane." Maura stated, her tone revealing how sorry she felt for having to cancel on such short notice.

"Eh." Jane said with an indifferent shrug, concealing her despondent attitude. "I understand. New job, lots to catch up on. I'll just catch you another time." The detective added pragmatically.

Politely excusing herself and saying their goodbyes, the brunette headed back upstairs to tend to her work.

R&I

That night after work Jane opted to head home for the night, rather than head to the bar with Korsak and Frost.

At the end of any other day a drink at the Dirty Robber with her friends is what the young detective was always game for. Tonight, however, Maura was stuck in her office and wouldn't be able to join them. With this in mind Jane somehow managed to convince herself that if her best friend couldn't be out with the rest of the group, then maybe she should limit her own fun.

Once at her apartment the young detective made herself more comfortable. Changing into an old tank-top and a comfortable pair of running shorts, she grabbed a beer from her fridge and settled herself on the couch.

After a few hours of flipping through channels and watching a few episodes of 'Law and Order' the detective finally switched over to the movie channels. Spotting a title she hadn't heard of before she selected the title and adjusted her position.

Fifteen minutes or so into her movie, around eleven o'clock, a knock on Jane's door tore her attention away from her movie. Quickly moving across the room, sliding on her socks as she reached the door, the detective peaked through the peephole. Hurriedly she unlocked the door and swung it open.

"Maura!" Jane said shocked to see the blonde. "I thought you were working? Is everything ok?" The detective's protective side took over. She quickly scanned over the medical examiners figure, checking for any sign of distress.

"I'm fine, Jane. I just finished with the last of my work and I knew you wouldn't be asleep yet so I thought i'd stop by. See if we could salvage some of our usual Saturday routine." The blonde stated with a nonchalant shrug, casually walking past her friend and into the detectives home.

Jane locked the door behind the medical examiner and headed once again towards her kitchen.

"Want a drink?" Jane asked, pulling out a beer from the fridge for herself.

"Do you have any wine?" The honey blonde asked, her voice almost musical.

"Nah. I've got….beer, water, or Hey wait!, look at that!, more beer." She deadpanned causing a small laugh from the blonde making herself comfortable on the couch.

"Fine then. I will try one of your beers." Maura stated with a light laugh.

Dropping herself back onto the couch, Jane handed her friend a beer of her own and watched as Maura took a timid sip. The blonde eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she gave a noncommittal "hmm" and shrugged.

"Really?" Jane asked with a stony expression.

Cracking her own version of a mischievous smile, Maura conceded. "It's very good. Thank you."

With a small smile playing on her lips the detective took a drink of her own beer, bringing her attention back to the movie playing on her television screen. Since most Saturday nights consisted of dinner and a movie there wasn't any question as to why they continued to watch the movie Jane already had playing. They sat there quietly drinking and watching the movie for another fifteen minutes before Jane broke the silence.

"Have you ever kissed a girl?" Jane questioned, never taking her eyes off the screen.

Their eyes stayed glued to the screen as the queen vampire in the movie seduced the female reporter and trapped her in a series of seductive touches. Maura tilted her head slightly in thought.

"I don't think I have."

"You don't '_think_'?" Jane asked.

"Technically I have never kissed another female. However that doesn't mean that I wouldn't."

Not having expected that response, Janes attention snapped from her television screen to the blonde sitting to her left.

"You would?" The detective asked in amazement.

Gently bringing her attention to her friend, Maura continued.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" asking as if this information should be fairly obvious.

"Be-_cause_. You like men…" Jane proceeded.

"That is true. All my past sexual partners were of the male gender. That being said, i've never had a problem with the thought of being intimate with another woman." The blonde stated simply.

"So...you're bi?" The detective pried.

"The term bisexual mainly refers to having sexual partners of both the male and female gender, so yes, you are correct." The blonde said turning her attention back to the TV. "Although it's really been more about the individuals personality for me. Physical appearance is really more of an added bonus. I really could care less what my partners reproductive organs are. I would identify more with '_Pan_sexual'. A Pansexual-*"

"I know what a Pansexual is, Maur, thank you." Jane said cutting her friend off, having heard enough about 'reproductive organs' for one night. "So you would you do '_that_' with a woman?" The detective asked, pointing at her TV indicating to the characters on screen that were becoming more physically intimate. Maura took a beat and then replied, her answer sure and calm.

"Under the right circumstances, yes, I would." Nodding to herself the medical examiner took another sip of her beer. Tilting her head to the other side, watching the display on the television with more interest than when she had joined her friend in watching the movie.

Scrunching her face in deep thought, the detective hid the sudden elation she felt well.

"What about you?" Maura asked after a moment had passed.

"Me?" The detectives head whipped back towards her friend, where hazel eyes were patiently waiting for her reply. "I uh...I guess I never gave it much thought till now."

"And what do you think now?" The medical examiner pressed.

"I…" Jane began. "I guess. I mean...like you said. Under the right circumstances; the right person...maybe." The brunette added with a shrug, taking another sip of her beer.

Relieved to hear her friends words, but keeping her expression neutral, Maura returned her gaze to finish the movie.

R&I

The movie ended and so did another. It had become late and they both needed to be getting some sleep. Maura asked to stay the night and Jane would never refuse. Letting the medical examiner borrow a pair of pyjama pants and her BPD gym t-shirt, the two crawled into the detectives bed.

"Jane?" Maura asked after both had made themselves comfortable in bed.

"Yeah, Maur?"

"Do you think we'll stay friends long after we've married and had kids?" The medical examiner asked lost deep in thought.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" The detective joked.

"What do you mean?" Maura asked, genuinely confused by her friends question.

"I mean, do you plan on getting married and popping out babies anytime soon? C'mon Maur. Of Course we'll be friends." Jane stated directly.

Maura smiled weakly into the darkness at the sound of her friends confident demeanor.

"I mean...Yeah. I can see us getting together on Saturdays still, with the kids, taking them to the park and to the fourth of July flea market. You know, like how we used to when we were kids." Jane murmured more to herself than to the blonde beside her as she imagined their futures and remembered their past.

Rolling over to face her friend, reaching down to take the blondes hand into her own, the young detective continued. "Maura. You are my _best _friend. You already left me once and I don't ever plan on letting that happen again." The detective lowered her voice as she stroked the back of her friends hand softly. "You're my soul mate, Maur." She added matter-of-factly.

Maura's heart swelled at the words that her friend had so confidently spoken. Happy that the darkness of the room could clearly conceal the smile that tugged at her lips.

"In a total...friend...sort of way." Jane added quickly, her heart rate rising in slight panic, fearing she may overstepped a bit.

Jane was completely aware of the growing attraction towards the blonde in her bed. She'd always found something unique about Maura. It could have been lots of things, the good doctor was a very complex person, but in one of the best ways the detective could imagine.

She didn't lie when she said that Maura was her soulmate. She truly felt that way. The two had a connection that was undeniable. Still, the detectives feelings were rather new and terrifying. She didn't dare risk what she already had, not yet anyway.

All the young detective knew was that her friend was stunning and brilliant and fit so very well into her life and into the future she had planned for herself.

What Jane _didn't _know was that their feelings were mutual.

Much like her friend, Maura also felt a strong gravitation towards the detective. Jane had always been there for Maura, and made her feel at home in everything they've done together. Like wise she found Jane to be an exceptional beauty and highly perceptive individual.

Although the hurriedly added 'In-a-total-friend-sort-of-way' was meant to defuse the deeper meaning behind Jane's sentiment. Maura knew how much Jane truly meant what she had just said.

"I feel the same way." The medical examiner whispered, hoping to ease some of the tension she could feel radiating from the brunette beside her.

They fell asleep facing one another. Jane hadn't let go of Maura's hand and instead held it to her chest as they slept.

Their ankles threatened to intertwine during the night, and more than once Maura subconsciously traced a finger over the detectives bare clavicle.

Neither had noticed doing so and neither felt the need to pull away at any point. Both would mark this night as the beginning of something new, something deeper than just a casual friendship.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

_I know, I know!  
>I'm terribly slow.<br>My bad._


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